17th November 2024

 

Dear All,

There was a big turnout for the Remembrance Day gatherings at the War Memorial and the two churches.

 

 

Memorial Gathering

 

 

Wreaths & Poppies

 

After swimming on Monday, it was U3A Balkans – this week Dubrovnik and Bosnia followed by Eat Well and Live Longer – Blood Pressure and Colon Cancer both on Zoom.

 

 

Dubrovnik

 

 

Mostar, Bosnia

 

On Tuesday we emptied the water butts on the new shed by draining then into the pond via a hosepipe. Later we met up with some ex-NIAB colleagues for lunch at Girton Golf Club and called in a refurbished Oakington Garden Centre.

Wednesday morning, I was fitted with new hearing aids – verdict – wait and see! It was then on to Cambridge Weatherspoon’s for lunch with a couple of walking mates and Rob & Penny who are planning to emigrate to Australia shortly as both their children and families are settled there.

We walked on Thursday this week starting at Therfield and taking in Green End. Sandon and Kelshall. We started in November mist again but it cleared with short flashes of sunshine.

 

 

Misty Start

 

 

Icknield Way

 

 

Autumn Colours near Sandon

 

 

Sandon Hall Gatehouse

 

 

Sandon church & Lych gate

 

The Biographies subject this week was Adelaide of Orleans a very influential French lady in the 18^th century. She was only 12 when the French Revolution took place and had to go into exile. Her father was executed but eventually her brother Louis Phillipe became king. Adelaide did not get married but was the power behind the throne and he discussed every decision with her.

 

 

Adelaide of Orleans

 

Ben arrived Friday night to meet up with old school friends this weekend. He warmed up with a 24 km run Saturday morning as he is running the Battersea Park Marathon next weekend.

Over beat top of the table Shelford 2 v 0 Saturday afternoon to replace them at the top of the Cambs Premier League.

Regards

Mike & Kate

 

10th November 2024

 

Dear All,

 After swimming on Monday I tuned into U3A Balkans, this week it was Croatia which was familiar in parts.

 

 

Dubrovnik

 

 

Plitvice National park

We walked on Tuesday this week starting at a new venue in the village of Abbotsley and taking in Croxton, the deserted Medieval village of Weald and Hail Lane. Abbotsley is a very attractive village and it was a very rural walk with several long green lanes.

 

 

Abbotsley

 

 

Site of Weald

 

 

Abbotsley Green

 

Wednesday reads: collected new glasses, Tesco’s, Church Group, Digging and Trump re-elected!

On Thursday we received a visit from Rachel, Grace, Arthur and Nathan Burrell who moved from Over to Norwich last year. Grace now 8 years old is very bright and good company, Arthur 6 is a middle child and needs a little attention and Nathan nearly 2 seems to be very quick on the uptake.

They stayed until Saturday morning and left leaving behind one pair of trainers, one jumper and one anorak! The house has nearly recovered!

 

 

Arthur & Grace

 

 

Nathan & Arthur

 

 

Nathan & Rachel

 

On Thursday evening I had an Over Show Committee where the earth-shaking decision was taken to include crafts in next year’s show.

 

The Biographies topic this week was Pope Pius IX who was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest of any pope in history. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican Council in 1868 and for permanently losing control of the Papal States in 1870 to the Kingdom of Italy. He was elected as a liberal and become very conservative.

 

 

Pius IX

 

Over had another hard-won victory on Saturday beating Foxton 1 v 0 to rise to 2^nd in the league.

Regards

Mike & Kate

 

3^rd November 2024

 

Dear All,

 The undoubted highlight of the week was meeting up with David, Mary and Graham on Wednesday (dare I say otherwise!). We used to assemble 10 for a cousin’s reunion but now John, Muriel and Jenny are no longer with us and Peter and Annemarie are both in care homes so it is down to five. We had lunch at a garden centre in Clacton then walked along the front to Jaywick. Jaywick centre has improved a little but is still rather run down but the beach is now excellent following the strategic placement of rocks which have encouraged the deposition of sand. After we went back to Beaumont to catch up and for tea. On the way down we started to notice road kill deer and between Stanstead and Colchester we counted at least 10.

 

 

Kate, David, Mary, Mike, Graham

 

 

Jaywick Sands

 

After our swim on Monday Kate and I took Tony and Jenny Miles to Addenbrookes as Tony was having a heart monitor fitted. I then tuned in to U3A “Balkans” on Zoom which this week was on Slovenia.

 

 

Lake Bled, Slovenia

 

Later I picked the green tomatoes and removed the plants form the bottom greenhouse while harvesting our vast peanut crop (one plant!) and digging up a bucket full of Sweet Potatoes.

 

 

Peanuts

 

 

Sweet Potatoes

On Tuesday I was back at Specsavers to have my ears moulded for a new hearing aid then I mucked and dug the tomato house. In the afternoon I went to Willingham to help Geoff Pake erecting a new poly tunnel. Unfortunately, the site was wet and muddy and the day before he had slipped and damaged his ankle so he was not very mobile. He had a scan the next day and found that he had cracked a bone.

 

 

Geoff’s Tunnel

 

We did the Thursday walk this week which started at Newport south of Saffron Walden and took in Rickling and Wicken Bonhunt. It was an excellent walk but we started in mist which did not clear for nearly 2 hours. The mist showed up an amazing display of ground cover cobwebs.

 

 

Newport in the Mist

 

 

Nell Gwyn’s House, Newport

 

 

Ground Cover Spiders Webs

 

 

Interested Observer

 

 

The Coach & Horses, Wicken Bonhunt

 

St Helen’s Saxon Chapel

 

The Biographies subject this week was James/Jan Morris the transgender travel writer. He had five children before changing gender and was on the Everest expedition and responsible for getting the news of the conquest back to the UK in time for the coronation.

 

 Jan & James Morris

In the evening, we had a meal and CEEM committee meeting at the Pakes.

Over won again on Saturday beating Milton 4 v 1 so are now 3^rd in the table.

 

 

Regards

Mike & Kate

 

27^th October 2024

 

Dear All,

 It has been a week of catching up with the things cancelled the previous week. On Monday  Kate and Merv went swimming but I missed it to get my tooth recapped. The U3A office has been closed all week because they detected Legionnaires bacteria in the water supply.

I have been a member of the Thursday walking group for 16 years; this time we have also signed on for the Tuesday group – we do not plan to attend both each week but to choose the walk which is closest as some of the Thursday walks are 40 miles away. This week was our first outing with the Tuesday group which started at Haddenham and took in Aldreth and the River Great Ouse. We had good weather but it was a little soggy underfoot in places. The group is larger and they split in two alternating walks with one group aiming to walk faster.

 

 

Leaving Haddenham

 

 

Cattle by the River

 

 

Great Ouse at Aldreth

 

 

Break

 

On Wednesday morning I had both an Eye check and a discussion about hearing aids so I need stronger lens and hopefully a different hearing aid. We had a full turn out for the church group and Bulgarian friends Stan, Maya and Sammy Stoyanov called in for a drink.

Having a free Thursday was a novelty so we went to St Ives on the Guided Bus as Kate wanted to fill a shoe box for the Samaritans Purse Christmas appeal.

 

I called in the local Pharmacy to collect medications and the staff asked “have you had a Flu jab yet.?” I said “no” as I had to cancel with the COVD. They replied “Have you got 5 minutes?” - and they jabbed me on the spot!

I planted out Broad Beans and also sowed a row hoping mice, squirrels, Muntjac deer and all other pests will let them prosper.

I have continued digging at the allotment and managed to almost finish this week.

We were able to hold “Biographies” this week as we do not meet in the U3A offices but the Friends Meeting House. The topic this week was Sir Kenneth Clark of “Civilisation” fame. He had a strange childhood not being allowed to mix with other children but at boarding school got interested in art and after Oxford became director of the Ashmolean Museum aged 23. He later transferred to be director of the National Gallery and then chair of the new Independent Television Authority, never having owned a TV. The highlight of his career came when he was invited to present “Civilisation” by David Attenborough. It was the most expensive production at that time but because it was syndicated worldwide made money.

 

 

Sir Kenneth Clark

 

Over had a good win on Saturday thumping Witchford 6 v 1.

 

Regards

Mike & Kate